THEY rattled and clanged their ponderous way through Southampton for decades until time ran out for the local trams.

Now, with the news that the government is examining a transport plan which calls for the introduction of new ultra-modern supertrams in and around the city, many local people will look back nostalgically to the days of the "Old Faithfuls''.

From the 1870s right up until the first day of 1950 Southampton people were able to take a ride on the trams but then the omnibus was hailed as the great way forward.

More than half a century later, transportation trends have turned full circle and the tram, which never really went away on mainland Europe, has returned back into service in several cities and towns across the UK.

If Southampton's latest public transport blueprint is finally ever put into operation then the city will become the latest centre for a tram network.

It was back in 1879 that horse-drawn trams first became an everyday scene on Southampton's streets.

On Monday, May 5 at 5.30am the first tram on passenger service set off from Portswood. As this historic day wore on, more and yet more people wanted to try out the new means of getting about. At lunchtime and in the evening the numbers of people enjoying their first tram ride became so great conductors gave up trying to count them.

Within a few weeks the horse tramway system was completed when the branch line to the still semi-rural suburb of Shirley was opened.

After the corporation's acquisition of the local power company at the end of the 19th century the network was electrified. Opened soon afterwards was the first of several new all-electric routes - from the docks via St Mary's and Bellevue Terrace to the lower end of The Avenue.

Next came a new line to the Floating Bridge, over Central Bridge instead of along Canute Road where the old horse trams had run, and in 1902 the first trams crossed the Itchen to Bitterne Park Triangle.

Extensions from Stag Gates to the Common, from Onslow Road to Lodge Road corner and from Portswood to Hampton Park shortly followed, while routes to Northam and the Royal Pier opened in 1910 and 1911.

After the First World War trams spread further out across Southampton, from Shirley to Millbrook station, from Hampton Park to Swaythling while in 1930 Burgess Road became a tram route, linking Bassett and Swaythling.

During the Second World War the tram operators faced with the military call-up of an increasing number of male staff took on women tram conductors.

In March, 1941, the Daily Echo wrote: "The women have come from various walks of life, and among them are a waitress, several shop assistants, an office worker, a domestic servant, housewives and factory workers. The women are very enthusiastic and quick to learn.''